Chapter Seventeen: Out in the Open

Anna's POV

I stab my fork into the heap of scrambled eggs aimlessly as my eyes bore a hole into my phone screen. It was game day today and I was itching to send Marcus a message. Goodluck? We're going to kick your asses today? Or am I supposed to support the Lakeview Lions now?

"Anna?"

The sound of my name had my eyes reluctantly leaving their target just enough for me to realize that both my parents were looking at me like they were expecting some sort of answer from me.

"Umm, sorry, what was that?" I asked as I stabbed my fork into my plate again for the millionth time without lifting it to my mouth.

"I asked if you're trying to break that plate or are you going for the record of world's biggest bite?" my mom watched me as I looked between her and the now overly-stacked fork that was at its limit with eggs and fried sausages.

I let out a choked laugh as I disentangled the messy heap and then placed my fork at the side of the plate. "Sorry. My mind was elsewhere," I said under my breath as my dad walked over to take my plate and replaced it with a glass of orange juice.

"You're never this distracted on a game day, kiddo. Everything okay?" he asked, pulling his chair closer to mine.

"It's not the game. I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind," I wave off his concerned look and reached for my orange juice.

The sound of a message alert had me diverting my hand to pick up my phone, pushing back my chair and walking out the kitchen, missing the confused yet amused looks on both my parents' faces.

I swipe my screen open and my heart does a little somersault when I see Marcus's name pop up on the screen. I stop in my tracks and mentally scold myself for being affected by a message from my fake boyfriend.

"Keep it together, Anna. This is all for show," I breathe out while my brain chides me in a totally different direction.

Then why have you two been messaging constantly for the past few days when there was nobody around to show it to?

Shaking my head to clear the muddled thoughts, I open the message.

Hey, Anna. Looking forward to seeing you at the game today. Marcus.

I type back a quick reply.

Hey, same here. Break a leg.

The moment my finger pressed the send button, I immediately felt the need to slap myself. What the hell did I just tell him?

A message chimes in on my phone almost immediately.

Umm, thanks?

I frantically try to salvage my slip up.

I am so sorry. I have no idea why I typed that!

Haha. You're Hillcrest Hawk to the bone Donovan. It's fine. I'll just have to treat you extra nicely after we win later.

I stare at my screen for a few breaths before I send a quick reply and turn to see my parents watching me from the kitchen corridor.

Sliding my phone into my jacket pocket I wipe my now clammy hands against my jeans as I walk over to pick up my back pack on the floor a few steps away.

"Uhh, so I'll see you two at the game later?" I asked as I tucked my bag onto my shoulder and turn to head to the front door.

"Of course, just like we usually are sweetheart," my mother's mouth perks up just a bit at the corner as my dad narrows his eyes at me.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asks, taking a step towards me but my mom's hand shoots out to hold him in place beside her.

"Really, Eli, enough with the questions. She'll be late," my mom says before she winks at me, causing me to trip on my own two feet.

I'm able to regain my footing before I face planted the hardwood floors, pulling open the front door and speed walking my way out of their range of vision. As I broke the corner to the bus stop, I breathe a sigh of relief as I sat on the bus stop bench as fish out my phone once more.

No messages.

I found myself scrolling through the morning conversation a few times before the bus came to a stop in front of me and I push to my feet to walk to the entrance. With my head still bent down to my phone, I move to step onto the platform when i feel myself being shoved inside forcefully.

"What the...." I stumble a bit and turn to look behind me, but there's no one. Swiveling on the spot, I then catch sight of an envelope on the sidewalk behind me.

"Are you okay, dear?" the bus driver asks me and I nod silently as my eyes look carefully at the small white envelope.

Leaning in close, I realize that my name was written at the front. I stare up and down the street once more before turning back to the bus driver.

"Did you see who bumped into me just now?" I asked and then sighed when I took in the heavily spectacled old man behind the wheel. "Nevermind."

Turning towards the envelope once more, I reach down and picked it up before quickly shuffling into the bus and taking one of the vacant seats at the rear.

I turn over the envelope in my hand before reaching for the backfold. But before I tear it open, my phone beeps off, and I dig my hand into my jacket to check it. I read the message from Courtney, letting me know that she'd see me later at the game and that she was excited to hear about how things were progressing with my 'McYummy'.

"Seriously, Courtney," I sighed as I looked up to see my stop coming up. I quickly tucked both the envelope and my phone into the front pocket of my bag and pressed the buzzer to alert the driver.

I step off the bus and made my way up the pathway, my mind now solely focused on the day ahead and the prospect of seeing Marcus at the game later.